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150 Modena - Complesso di San Paolo | San Paolo Monastery
clipeo, a mezzo busto, con vesti e diadema “all’antica”; un fregio a pal- on November 16, 1816, while the monastery welcomed the Educanda-
mette nella trabeazione e due candelabre ai lati inquadrano il clipeo e la to delle Povere Zitelle (Poor Spinsters’ Boarding School), also called “delle
sottostante epigrafe celebrativa, tra citazioni classiche e aggiornato gusto Putte della Duchessa” (the Duchess’s spinsters), because they enjoyed the
“purista” di marca neoquattrocentesca. La stessa bicromia bianco-azzur- protection of Maria Beatrice Vittoria of Savoy, wife of Duke Francesco
ra, peraltro colori estensi, che riveste la terracotta rimanda ai modelli IV of Austria-Este. A small walled monument in a wall of the atrium
del Quattrocento fiorentino dei Della Robbia. Conclude la raffinatissi- overlooking via Selmi is dedicated to the memory of the illustrious
ma composizione un fastigio figurato: fra due cornucopie traboccanti di benefactor. It was created in 1842 by Luigi Mainoni (1804-1863), per-
frutti, simboli di prosperità sotto la protezione sovrana, l’allegoria della haps the most important sculptor of the Austro-Este duchy. It portrays
Carità è reinterpretata nella matrona seduta con accanto due fanciulle e the Duchess in a relief inscribed in a clypeus, half-busted, dressed in
una bimba sulle ginocchia, allusione all’assistenza prestata alle educande “old-fashioned” robes and tiara. A frieze with a palmette motif in the
del San Paolo. entablature and two candelabra at the sides frame the clypeus and the
Dopo l’Unità, l’Educan- underlying commemorative epigraph, between classical references and
dato passò alle dipendenze the modern 15th century neo-purism taste. The same white-blue duo-
dello Stato, fino a quando tone of the terracotta¸ which are also the Este’s colors, brings to mind
th
cessò, per Regio Decreto Della Robbia’s models of the 15 century in Florence. The refined
del 1° ottobre 1865; nel composition is ended by a figurative finial: between two cornucopias
1871 fu trasformato in full of fruit, symbols of prosperity under sovereign protection, the al-
Ente Morale, l’Educato- legory of Charity is reinterpreted by the matron sitting next to two
rio Provinciale San Paolo, maidens and a girl on her knees, allusion to the assistance given to the
sotto la tutela della Pro- San Paolo’s boarders.
vincia di Modena. L’E- After the unification of Italy, the Boarding School passed under the
ducatorio continuò, fino direction of the State, until its conclusion as the result of the issue of a
al Novecento inoltrato, Royal Decree of October 1, 1865. In 1871 it was transformed into a
la tradizione di insegna- Moral Institution – called the Provincial Educatorio San Paolo – under
mento dei lavori femmi- the monitoring of the Province of Modena. The educatorio continued,
nili, come il cucito, il ram- until the late twentieth century, the tradition of teaching ‘female’ jobs,
mendo e in particolare il such as: sewing, mending and particularly embroidery. As a matter of
ricamo: le educande pro- fact, the boarders produced sumptuous kits, banners and sacred vest-
ducevano sontuosi cor- ments which were rewarded in the great exhibitions of the post-uni-
redi, stendardi, paramenti fied Italy. The students created their works also following the historical
